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Schröter N, Arnold PG, Hosp JA, Reisert M, Rijntjes M, Kellner E, Jost WH, Weiller C, Urbach H, Rau A. Complemental Value of Microstructural and Macrostructural MRI in the Discrimination of Neurodegenerative Parkinson Syndromes. Clin Neuroradiol 2024; 34:411-420. [PMID: 38289378 PMCID: PMC11130007 DOI: 10.1007/s00062-023-01377-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2023] [Accepted: 12/24/2023] [Indexed: 05/29/2024]
Abstract
PURPOSE Various MRI-based techniques were tested for the differentiation of neurodegenerative Parkinson syndromes (NPS); the value of these techniques in direct comparison and combination is uncertain. We thus compared the diagnostic performance of macrostructural, single compartmental, and multicompartmental MRI in the differentiation of NPS. METHODS We retrospectively included patients with NPS, including 136 Parkinson's disease (PD), 41 multiple system atrophy (MSA) and 32 progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) and 27 healthy controls (HC). Macrostructural tissue probability values (TPV) were obtained by CAT12. The microstructure was assessed using a mesoscopic approach by diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), neurite orientation dispersion and density imaging (NODDI), and diffusion microstructure imaging (DMI). After an atlas-based read-out, a linear support vector machine (SVM) was trained on a training set (n = 196) and validated in an independent test cohort (n = 40). The diagnostic performance of the SVM was compared for different inputs individually and in combination. RESULTS Regarding the inputs separately, we observed the best diagnostic performance for DMI. Overall, the combination of DMI and TPV performed best and correctly classified 88% of the patients. The corresponding area under the receiver operating characteristic curve was 0.87 for HC, 0.97 for PD, 1.0 for MSA, and 0.99 for PSP. CONCLUSION We were able to demonstrate that (1) MRI parameters that approximate the microstructure provided substantial added value over conventional macrostructural imaging, (2) multicompartmental biophysically motivated models performed better than the single compartmental DTI and (3) combining macrostructural and microstructural information classified NPS and HC with satisfactory performance, thus suggesting a complementary value of both approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nils Schröter
- Department of Neurology and Clinical Neuroscience, Medical Center-University of Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Philipp G Arnold
- Department of Neuroradiology, Medical Center-University of Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Breisacher Str. 64, 79106, Freiburg, Germany
- Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Medical Center-University of Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Jonas A Hosp
- Department of Neurology and Clinical Neuroscience, Medical Center-University of Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Marco Reisert
- Department of Medical Physics, Medical Center-University of Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
- Department of Stereotactic and Functional Neurosurgery, Medical Center-University of Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Michel Rijntjes
- Department of Neurology and Clinical Neuroscience, Medical Center-University of Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Elias Kellner
- Department of Medical Physics, Medical Center-University of Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | | | - Cornelius Weiller
- Department of Neurology and Clinical Neuroscience, Medical Center-University of Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Horst Urbach
- Department of Neuroradiology, Medical Center-University of Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Breisacher Str. 64, 79106, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Alexander Rau
- Department of Neuroradiology, Medical Center-University of Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Breisacher Str. 64, 79106, Freiburg, Germany.
- Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Medical Center-University of Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany.
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Müller HP, Kassubek J. Toward diffusion tensor imaging as a biomarker in neurodegenerative diseases: technical considerations to optimize recordings and data processing. Front Hum Neurosci 2024; 18:1378896. [PMID: 38628970 PMCID: PMC11018884 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2024.1378896] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2024] [Accepted: 02/26/2024] [Indexed: 04/19/2024] Open
Abstract
Neuroimaging biomarkers have shown high potential to map the disease processes in the application to neurodegenerative diseases (NDD), e.g., diffusion tensor imaging (DTI). For DTI, the implementation of a standardized scanning and analysis cascade in clinical trials has potential to be further optimized. Over the last few years, various approaches to improve DTI applications to NDD have been developed. The core issue of this review was to address considerations and limitations of DTI in NDD: we discuss suggestions for improvements of DTI applications to NDD. Based on this technical approach, a set of recommendations was proposed for a standardized DTI scan protocol and an analysis cascade of DTI data pre-and postprocessing and statistical analysis. In summary, considering advantages and limitations of the DTI in NDD we suggest improvements for a standardized framework for a DTI-based protocol to be applied to future imaging studies in NDD, towards the goal to proceed to establish DTI as a biomarker in clinical trials in neurodegeneration.
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Rau A, Hosp JA, Rijntjes M, Weiller C, Kellner E, Berberovic E, Oikonomou P, Jost WH, Reisert M, Urbach H, Schröter N. Cerebellar, Not Nigrostriatal Degeneration Impairs Dexterity in Multiple System Atrophy. Mov Disord 2024; 39:130-140. [PMID: 38013497 DOI: 10.1002/mds.29661] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2023] [Accepted: 10/30/2023] [Indexed: 11/29/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Multiple system atrophy (MSA) clinically manifests with either predominant nigrostriatal or cerebellopontine degeneration. This corresponds to two different phenotypes, one with predominant Parkinson's symptoms (MSA-P [multiple system atrophy-parkinsonian subtype]) and one with predominant cerebellar deficits (MSA-C [multiple system atrophy-cerebellar subtype]). Both nigrostriatal and cerebellar degeneration can lead to impaired dexterity, which is a frequent cause of disability in MSA. OBJECTIVE The aim was to disentangle the contribution of nigrostriatal and cerebellar degeneration to impaired dexterity in both subtypes of MSA. METHODS We thus investigated nigrostriatal and cerebellopontine integrity using diffusion microstructure imaging in 47 patients with MSA-P and 17 patients with MSA-C compared to 31 healthy controls (HC). Dexterity was assessed using the 9-Hole Peg Board (9HPB) performance. RESULTS Nigrostriatal degeneration, represented by the loss of cells and neurites, leading to a larger free-fluid compartment, was present in MSA-P and MSA-C when compared to HCs. Whereas no intergroup differences were observed between the MSAs in the substantia nigra, MSA-P showed more pronounced putaminal degeneration than MSA-C. In contrast, a cerebellopontine axonal degeneration was observed in MSA-P and MSA-C, with stronger effects in MSA-C. Interestingly, the degeneration of cerebellopontine fibers is associated with impaired dexterity in both subtypes, whereas no association was observed with nigrostriatal degeneration. CONCLUSION Cerebellar dysfunction contributes to impaired dexterity not only in MSA-C but also in MSA-P and may be a promising biomarker for disease staging. In contrast, no significant association was observed with nigrostriatal dysfunction. © 2023 The Authors. Movement Disorders published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander Rau
- Department of Neuroradiology, Medical Center-University of Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
- Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Medical Center-University of Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Jonas A Hosp
- Department of Neurology and Clinical Neuroscience, Medical Center-University of Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Michel Rijntjes
- Department of Neurology and Clinical Neuroscience, Medical Center-University of Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Cornelius Weiller
- Department of Neurology and Clinical Neuroscience, Medical Center-University of Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Elias Kellner
- Medical Physics, Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Medical Center-University of Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | | | | | | | - Marco Reisert
- Medical Physics, Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Medical Center-University of Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
- Department of Stereotactic and Functional Neurosurgery, Medical Center-University of Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Horst Urbach
- Department of Neuroradiology, Medical Center-University of Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Nils Schröter
- Department of Neurology and Clinical Neuroscience, Medical Center-University of Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
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Li W, Wei Q, Hou Y, Lei D, Ai Y, Qin K, Yang J, Kemp GJ, Shang H, Gong Q. Disruption of the white matter structural network and its correlation with baseline progression rate in patients with sporadic amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Transl Neurodegener 2021; 10:35. [PMID: 34511130 PMCID: PMC8436442 DOI: 10.1186/s40035-021-00255-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2021] [Accepted: 08/01/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE There is increasing evidence that amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease impacting large-scale brain networks. However, it is still unclear which structural networks are associated with the disease and whether the network connectomics are associated with disease progression. This study was aimed to characterize the network abnormalities in ALS and to identify the network-based biomarkers that predict the ALS baseline progression rate. METHODS Magnetic resonance imaging was performed on 73 patients with sporadic ALS and 100 healthy participants to acquire diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance images and construct white matter (WM) networks using tractography methods. The global and regional network properties were compared between ALS and healthy subjects. The single-subject WM network matrices of patients were used to predict the ALS baseline progression rate using machine learning algorithms. RESULTS Compared with the healthy participants, the patients with ALS showed significantly decreased clustering coefficient Cp (P = 0.0034, t = 2.98), normalized clustering coefficient γ (P = 0.039, t = 2.08), and small-worldness σ (P = 0.038, t = 2.10) at the global network level. The patients also showed decreased regional centralities in motor and non-motor systems including the frontal, temporal and subcortical regions. Using the single-subject structural connection matrix, our classification model could distinguish patients with fast versus slow progression rate with an average accuracy of 85%. CONCLUSION Disruption of the WM structural networks in ALS is indicated by weaker small-worldness and disturbances in regions outside of the motor systems, extending the classical pathophysiological understanding of ALS as a motor disorder. The individual WM structural network matrices of ALS patients are potential neuroimaging biomarkers for the baseline disease progression in clinical practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenbin Li
- Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Department of Radiology, Functional and Molecular Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610000, China
| | - Qianqian Wei
- Laboratory of Neurodegenerative Disorders, Departments of Neurology, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610000, China
| | - Yanbing Hou
- Laboratory of Neurodegenerative Disorders, Departments of Neurology, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610000, China
| | - Du Lei
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, Division of Bipolar Disorders Research, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, 45267, USA
| | - Yuan Ai
- Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Department of Radiology, Functional and Molecular Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610000, China
| | - Kun Qin
- Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Department of Radiology, Functional and Molecular Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610000, China
| | - Jing Yang
- Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Department of Radiology, Functional and Molecular Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610000, China
| | - Graham J Kemp
- Department of Musculoskeletal and Ageing Science and MRC - Versus Arthritis Centre for Integrated Research Into Musculoskeletal Ageing, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
| | - Huifang Shang
- Laboratory of Neurodegenerative Disorders, Departments of Neurology, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610000, China.
| | - Qiyong Gong
- Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Department of Radiology, Functional and Molecular Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610000, China.
- Research Unit of Psychoradiology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Chengdu, 610000, China.
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Barry RL, Babu S, Anteraper SA, Triantafyllou C, Keil B, Rowe OE, Rangaprakash D, Paganoni S, Lawson R, Dheel C, Cernasov PM, Rosen BR, Ratai EM, Atassi N. Ultra-high field (7T) functional magnetic resonance imaging in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: a pilot study. NEUROIMAGE-CLINICAL 2021; 30:102648. [PMID: 33872993 PMCID: PMC8060594 DOI: 10.1016/j.nicl.2021.102648] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2020] [Revised: 03/17/2021] [Accepted: 03/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Participants with ALS exhibited impaired function between the cortex and cerebellum. The cerebellum is associated with complex motor and cognitive processing tasks. These findings add to the growing number of ALS reports implicating the cerebellum.
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a neurodegenerative disease of the central nervous system that results in a progressive loss of motor function and ultimately death. It is critical, yet also challenging, to develop non-invasive biomarkers to identify, localize, measure and/or track biological mechanisms implicated in ALS. Such biomarkers may also provide clues to identify potential molecular targets for future therapeutic trials. Herein we report on a pilot study involving twelve participants with ALS and nine age-matched healthy controls who underwent high-resolution resting state functional magnetic resonance imaging at an ultra-high field of 7 Tesla. A group-level whole-brain analysis revealed a disruption in long-range functional connectivity between the superior sensorimotor cortex (in the precentral gyrus) and bilateral cerebellar lobule VI. Post hoc analyses using atlas-derived left and right cerebellar lobule VI revealed decreased functional connectivity in ALS participants that predominantly mapped to bilateral postcentral and precentral gyri. Cerebellar lobule VI is a transition zone between anterior motor networks and posterior non-motor networks in the cerebellum, and is associated with a wide range of key functions including complex motor and cognitive processing tasks. Our observation of the involvement of cerebellar lobule VI adds to the growing number of studies implicating the cerebellum in ALS. Future avenues of scientific investigation should consider how high-resolution imaging at 7T may be leveraged to visualize differences in functional connectivity disturbances in various genotypes and phenotypes of ALS along the ALS-frontotemporal dementia spectrum.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert L Barry
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA, USA; Department of Radiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA; Harvard-Massachusetts Institute of Technology Health Sciences & Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA.
| | - Suma Babu
- Sean M. Healey & AMG Center for ALS at Massachusetts General Hospital, Department of Neurology, Neurological Clinical Research Institute, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
| | - Sheeba Arnold Anteraper
- Department of Psychology, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Christina Triantafyllou
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA, USA; Department of Radiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA; Siemens Healthineers, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Boris Keil
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA, USA; Department of Radiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA; Mittelhessen University of Applied Sciences, Department of Life Science Engineering, Institute of Medical Physics and Radiation Protection, Giessen, Germany
| | - Olivia E Rowe
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA, USA
| | - D Rangaprakash
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA, USA; Department of Radiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Sabrina Paganoni
- Sean M. Healey & AMG Center for ALS at Massachusetts General Hospital, Department of Neurology, Neurological Clinical Research Institute, Boston, MA, USA; Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital, Charlestown, MA, USA; Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Robert Lawson
- Sean M. Healey & AMG Center for ALS at Massachusetts General Hospital, Department of Neurology, Neurological Clinical Research Institute, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Christina Dheel
- Sean M. Healey & AMG Center for ALS at Massachusetts General Hospital, Department of Neurology, Neurological Clinical Research Institute, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Paul M Cernasov
- Sean M. Healey & AMG Center for ALS at Massachusetts General Hospital, Department of Neurology, Neurological Clinical Research Institute, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Bruce R Rosen
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA, USA; Department of Radiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA; Harvard-Massachusetts Institute of Technology Health Sciences & Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Eva-Maria Ratai
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA, USA; Department of Radiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA; Division of Neuroradiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Nazem Atassi
- Sean M. Healey & AMG Center for ALS at Massachusetts General Hospital, Department of Neurology, Neurological Clinical Research Institute, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA; Sanofi Genzyme, Cambridge, MA, USA
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Steinbach R, Gaur N, Roediger A, Mayer TE, Witte OW, Prell T, Grosskreutz J. Disease aggressiveness signatures of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis in white matter tracts revealed by the D50 disease progression model. Hum Brain Mapp 2020; 42:737-752. [PMID: 33103324 PMCID: PMC7814763 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.25258] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2020] [Revised: 10/11/2020] [Accepted: 10/12/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Numerous neuroimaging studies in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) have reported links between structural changes and clinical data; however phenotypic and disease course heterogeneity have occluded robust associations. The present study used the novel D50 model, which distinguishes between disease accumulation and aggressiveness, to probe correlations with measures of diffusion tensor imaging (DTI). DTI scans of 145 ALS patients and 69 controls were analyzed using tract‐based‐spatial‐statistics of fractional anisotropy (FA), mean‐ (MD), radial (RD), and axial diffusivity (AD) maps. Intergroup contrasts were calculated between patients and controls, and between ALS subgroups: based on (a) the individual disease covered (Phase I vs. II) or b) patients' disease aggressiveness (D50 value). Regression analyses were used to probe correlations with model‐derived parameters. Case–control comparisons revealed widespread ALS‐related white matter pathology with decreased FA and increased MD/RD. These affected pathways showed also correlations with the accumulated disease for increased MD/RD, driven by the subgroup of Phase I patients. No significant differences were noted between patients in Phase I and II for any of the contrasts. Patients with high disease aggressiveness (D50 < 30 months) displayed increased AD/MD in bifrontal and biparietal pathways, which was corroborated by significant voxel‐wise regressions with D50. Application of the D50 model revealed associations between DTI measures and ALS pathology in Phase I, representing individual disease accumulation early in disease. Patients' overall disease aggressiveness correlated robustly with the extent of DTI changes. We recommend the D50 model for studies developing/validating neuroimaging or other biomarkers for ALS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert Steinbach
- Hans Berger Department of Neurology, Jena University Hospital, Jena, Germany
| | - Nayana Gaur
- Hans Berger Department of Neurology, Jena University Hospital, Jena, Germany
| | | | - Thomas E Mayer
- Department of Neuroradiology, Jena University Hospital, Jena, Germany
| | - Otto W Witte
- Hans Berger Department of Neurology, Jena University Hospital, Jena, Germany.,Center for Healthy Ageing, Jena University Hospital, Jena, Germany
| | - Tino Prell
- Hans Berger Department of Neurology, Jena University Hospital, Jena, Germany.,Center for Healthy Ageing, Jena University Hospital, Jena, Germany
| | - Julian Grosskreutz
- Hans Berger Department of Neurology, Jena University Hospital, Jena, Germany.,Center for Healthy Ageing, Jena University Hospital, Jena, Germany
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Involvement of the dentate nucleus in the pathophysiology of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: A multi-center and multi-modal neuroimaging study. NEUROIMAGE-CLINICAL 2020; 28:102385. [PMID: 32871387 PMCID: PMC7476068 DOI: 10.1016/j.nicl.2020.102385] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2020] [Revised: 08/01/2020] [Accepted: 08/12/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
This original research article highlights cerebellar structural and functional connectivity abnormalities implicated in the pathophysiology of ALS. In this study, resting-state functional MRI (rs-FMRI), diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), and 3D T1W structural images were examined. Functional connectivity was investigated between the cerebral cortex and cerebellum targeting the dentate nucleus (DN). Microstructural white matter diffusivity was examined along the cerebellar peduncles connecting the DN with the cerebral cortex and brain stem. Grey matter volumes of the cerebellar lobules and DN were determined. Overall, we provide evidence supporting involvement of the DN and associated cerebellar white matter tracts in the pathophysiology of ALS.
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is characterized primarily by motor neuron but also frontotemporal lobar degeneration. Although the cerebellum is involved in both motor and cognitive functions, little is known of its role in ALS. We targeted the dentate nucleus (DN) in the cerebellum and the associated white matter fibers tracts connecting the DN to the rest of the brain using multimodal imaging techniques to examine the cerebellar structural and functional connectivity patterns in ALS patients and hypothesized that the DN is implicated in the pathophysiology of ALS. A cohort of 127 participants (56 healthy subjects (HS); 71 ALS patients) were recruited across Canada through the Canadian ALS Neuroimaging Consortium (CALSNIC). Resting state functional MRI, diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), and 3D weighted T1 structural images were acquired on a 3-tesla scanner. The DN in the cerebellum was used as a seed to evaluate the whole brain cerebral resting-state functional connectivity (rsFC). The superior cerebellar peduncle (SCP), middle cerebellar peduncle (MCP) and inferior cerebellar peduncle (ICP) were used as a region of interest in DTI to evaluate the structural integrity of the DN with the cortex and brain stem. Cerebellar volumetric analysis was done to examine the lobular and DN grey matter (GM) changes in ALS patients. Lastly, an association between DN rsFC and structural alterations were explored. DN rsFC was reduced with cerebrum (supplementary motor area, precentral gyrus, frontal, posterior parietal, temporal), lobule IV, and brain stem, and increased with parieto-occipital region. DN rsFC and white matter (WM) diffusivity alterations at SCP, MCP, and ICP were accompanied by correlations with ALSFRS-R. There were no DN volumetric changes. Notably, DN rsFC correlated with WM abnormalities at superior cerebellar peduncle. The DN plays a pathophysiological role in ALS. Impaired rsFC is likely due to the observed cerebellar peduncular WM damage given the lack of GM atrophy of the DN. This study demonstrates altered cerebellar rsFC connectivity with motor and extra-motor regions in ALS, and impaired rsFC is likely due to the observed cerebellar peduncular WM damage given the lack of GM atrophy of the DN. The correlation between the altered DN connectivity, and the behavioral data support the hypothesis that the DN plays a pathophysiological role in ALS.
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Kassubek J, Müller HP. Advanced neuroimaging approaches in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: refining the clinical diagnosis. Expert Rev Neurother 2020; 20:237-249. [PMID: 31937156 DOI: 10.1080/14737175.2020.1715798] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Introduction: In the last decade, multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has achieved tremendous advances in applications to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) to increase the understanding of the associated pathophysiology. The aim of this review is to summarize recent progress in the development of MRI-based techniques aiming to support the clinical diagnosis in ALS.Areas covered: The review of structural and functional MRI applications to ALS and its variants (restricted phenotypes) is focused on the potential of MRI techniques which contribute to the diagnostic work-up of patients with the clinical presentation of a motor neuron disease. The potential of specific MRI methods for patient diagnosis and monitoring is discussed, and the future design of clinical MRI applications to ALS is conceptualized.Expert opinion: Current multiparametric MRI allows for the use as a clinical biological marker and a technical instrument in the clinical diagnosis of patients with ALS and also of patients with ALS variants. Composite neuroimaging indices of specific anatomical areas derived from different MRI techniques might guide in the diagnostic applications to ALS. Such a development of ALS-specific MRI-based composite scores with sufficient discriminative power versus ALS mimics at an individual level requires standardized advanced protocols and comprehensive analysis approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jan Kassubek
- Department of Neurology, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany
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Klatt CL, Theis V, Hahn S, Theiss C, Matschke V. Deregulated miR-29b-3p Correlates with Tissue-Specific Activation of Intrinsic Apoptosis in An Animal Model of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. Cells 2019; 8:cells8091077. [PMID: 31547454 PMCID: PMC6770833 DOI: 10.3390/cells8091077] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2019] [Revised: 09/06/2019] [Accepted: 09/11/2019] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is one of the most common incurable motor neuron disorders in adults. The majority of all ALS cases occur sporadically (sALS). Symptoms of ALS are caused by a progressive degeneration of motor neurons located in the motor cortex and spinal cord. The question arises why motor neurons selectively degenerate in ALS, while other cells and systems appear to be spared the disease. Members of the intrinsic apoptotic pathway are frequent targets of altered microRNA expression. Therefore, microRNAs and their effects on cell survival are subject of controversial debates. In this study, we investigated the expression of numerous members of the intrinsic apoptotic cascade by qPCR, western blot, and immunostaining in two different regions of the CNS of wobbler mice. Further we addressed the expression of miR-29b-3p targeting BMF, Bax, and, Bak, members of the apoptotic pathway. We show a tissue-specific differential expression of BMF, Bax, and cleaved-Caspase 3 in wobbler mice. An opposing regulation of miR-29b-3p expression in the cerebellum and cervical spinal cord of wobbler mice suggests different mechanisms regulating the intrinsic apoptotic pathway. Based on our findings, it could be speculated that miR-29b-3p might regulate antiapoptotic survival mechanisms in CNS areas that are not affected by neurodegeneration in the wobbler mouse ALS model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christina L Klatt
- Ruhr University Bochum, Medical Faculty, Institute of Anatomy, Department of Cytology, 44801 Bochum, Germany.
| | - Verena Theis
- Ruhr University Bochum, Medical Faculty, Institute of Anatomy, Department of Cytology, 44801 Bochum, Germany.
| | - Stephan Hahn
- Ruhr University Bochum, Clinical Research Center, Department of Molecular Gastrointestinal Oncology, 44801 Bochum, Germany.
| | - Carsten Theiss
- Ruhr University Bochum, Medical Faculty, Institute of Anatomy, Department of Cytology, 44801 Bochum, Germany.
| | - Veronika Matschke
- Ruhr University Bochum, Medical Faculty, Institute of Anatomy, Department of Cytology, 44801 Bochum, Germany.
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Müller HP, Brenner D, Roselli F, Wiesner D, Abaei A, Gorges M, Danzer KM, Ludolph AC, Tsao W, Wong PC, Rasche V, Weishaupt JH, Kassubek J. Longitudinal diffusion tensor magnetic resonance imaging analysis at the cohort level reveals disturbed cortical and callosal microstructure with spared corticospinal tract in the TDP-43 G298S ALS mouse model. Transl Neurodegener 2019; 8:27. [PMID: 31485326 PMCID: PMC6716821 DOI: 10.1186/s40035-019-0163-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2018] [Accepted: 07/16/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Background In vivo diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) of the mouse brain was used to identify TDP-43 associated alterations in a mouse model for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Methods Ten mice with TDP-43 G298S overexpression under control of the Thy1.2 promoter and 10 wild type (wt) underwent longitudinal DTI scans at 11.7 T, including one baseline and one follow-up scan with an interval of about 5 months. Whole brain-based spatial statistics (WBSS) of DTI-based parameter maps was used to identify longitudinal alterations of TDP-43 G298S mice compared to wt at the cohort level. Results were supplemented by tractwise fractional anisotropy statistics (TFAS) and histological evaluation of motor cortex for signs of neuronal loss. Results Alterations at the cohort level in TDP-43 G298S mice were observed cross-sectionally and longitudinally in motor areas M1/M2 and in transcallosal fibers but not in the corticospinal tract. Neuronal loss in layer V of motor cortex was detected in TDP-43 G298S at the later (but not at the earlier) timepoint compared to wt. Conclusion DTI mapping of TDP-43 G298S mice demonstrated progression in motor areas M1/M2. WBSS and TFAS are useful techniques to localize TDP-43 G298S associated alterations over time in this ALS mouse model, as a biological marker.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hans-Peter Müller
- 1Department of Neurology, University of Ulm, Oberer Eselsberg 45, RKU, D-89081 Ulm, Germany
| | - David Brenner
- 1Department of Neurology, University of Ulm, Oberer Eselsberg 45, RKU, D-89081 Ulm, Germany
| | - Francesco Roselli
- 1Department of Neurology, University of Ulm, Oberer Eselsberg 45, RKU, D-89081 Ulm, Germany.,2German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Ulm, Germany
| | - Diana Wiesner
- 1Department of Neurology, University of Ulm, Oberer Eselsberg 45, RKU, D-89081 Ulm, Germany
| | - Alireza Abaei
- 3Core Facility Small Animal MRI, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany
| | - Martin Gorges
- 1Department of Neurology, University of Ulm, Oberer Eselsberg 45, RKU, D-89081 Ulm, Germany
| | - Karin M Danzer
- 1Department of Neurology, University of Ulm, Oberer Eselsberg 45, RKU, D-89081 Ulm, Germany
| | - Albert C Ludolph
- 1Department of Neurology, University of Ulm, Oberer Eselsberg 45, RKU, D-89081 Ulm, Germany
| | - William Tsao
- 4Department of Pathology, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, USA
| | - Philip C Wong
- 4Department of Pathology, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, USA
| | - Volker Rasche
- 3Core Facility Small Animal MRI, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany
| | - Jochen H Weishaupt
- 1Department of Neurology, University of Ulm, Oberer Eselsberg 45, RKU, D-89081 Ulm, Germany
| | - Jan Kassubek
- 1Department of Neurology, University of Ulm, Oberer Eselsberg 45, RKU, D-89081 Ulm, Germany
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11
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Shellikeri S, Myers M, Black SE, Abrahao A, Zinman L, Yunusova Y. Speech network regional involvement in bulbar ALS: a multimodal structural MRI study. Amyotroph Lateral Scler Frontotemporal Degener 2019; 20:385-395. [PMID: 31088163 DOI: 10.1080/21678421.2019.1612920] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
Objective: To examine gray (GM) and white matter (WM) structural changes in regions of the speech network (SpN) in ALS patients with varying degree of bulbar disease. Methods: T1 and DTI images were obtained for 19 ALS participants and 13 neurologically-intact controls. Surface-based, volumetric, and DTI metrics were obtained for 6 regions-of-interest (ROIs) including the primary motor cortex (PMC), pars triangularis (parsT), pars opercularis (ParsO), posterior superior temporal gyrus (pSTG), and transverse temporal (TT). Disease-effects and brain-behavioral correlates between neuroanatomy and clinical measures of bulbar, limb, and overall disability were examined using linear models. Results: Structural changes were observed in the right oral and limb PMC and left ParsT, TT, and pSTG in ALS. Bulbar motor dysfunction was associated with WM abnormalities in the right oral PMC and left pSTG, and GM changes in bilateral TT. In contrast, symptom progression rate predicted GM and WM changes in bilateral pars opercularis (part of Broca's area). Grip strength and disease duration models were non-significant. Conclusions: The findings suggested that regions of the left-dominant SpN may be implicated in ALS and degeneration of these areas are related to bulbar disease severity. Involvement of regions that overlap across multiple connectomes such as Broca's area, however, may be dependent on the rate of disease progression. The work contributes to our understanding of bulbar ALS subtype, which is crucial for predicting disease progression, delivering targeted clinical care, and appropriate recruitment into clinical trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sanjana Shellikeri
- a Department of Speech Language Pathology , University of Toronto , Ontario , Canada.,b Hurvitz Brain Sciences Program , Sunnybrook Research Institute , Ontario , Canada
| | - Matthew Myers
- b Hurvitz Brain Sciences Program , Sunnybrook Research Institute , Ontario , Canada
| | - Sandra E Black
- b Hurvitz Brain Sciences Program , Sunnybrook Research Institute , Ontario , Canada.,c L.C. Campbell Cognitive Neurology Research Unit , Sunnybrook Research Institute, University of Toronto , Toronto , Canada.,d Department of Medicine, Division of Neurology , Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre , Toronto , Canada.,e Rotman Research Institute, Baycrest , Toronto , Canada , and
| | - Agessandro Abrahao
- b Hurvitz Brain Sciences Program , Sunnybrook Research Institute , Ontario , Canada.,d Department of Medicine, Division of Neurology , Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre , Toronto , Canada
| | - Lorne Zinman
- b Hurvitz Brain Sciences Program , Sunnybrook Research Institute , Ontario , Canada.,c L.C. Campbell Cognitive Neurology Research Unit , Sunnybrook Research Institute, University of Toronto , Toronto , Canada.,d Department of Medicine, Division of Neurology , Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre , Toronto , Canada
| | - Yana Yunusova
- a Department of Speech Language Pathology , University of Toronto , Ontario , Canada.,b Hurvitz Brain Sciences Program , Sunnybrook Research Institute , Ontario , Canada.,f University Health Network, Toronto Rehabilitation Institute , Ontario , Canada
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12
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Qiu T, Zhang Y, Tang X, Liu X, Wang Y, Zhou C, Luo C, Zhang J. Precentral degeneration and cerebellar compensation in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: A multimodal MRI analysis. Hum Brain Mapp 2019; 40:3464-3474. [PMID: 31020731 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.24609] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2019] [Revised: 03/28/2019] [Accepted: 04/16/2019] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive and intractable neurodegenerative disease of human motor system characterized by progressive muscular weakness and atrophy. A considerable body of research has demonstrated significant structural and functional abnormalities of the primary motor cortex in patients with ALS. In contrast, much less attention has been paid to the abnormalities of cerebellum in this disease. Using multimodal magnetic resonance imagining data of 60 patients with ALS and 60 healthy controls, we examined changes in gray matter volume (GMV), white matter (WM) fractional anisotropy (FA), and functional connectivity (FC) in patients with ALS. Compared with healthy controls, patients with ALS showed decreased GMV in the left precentral gyrus and increased GMV in bilateral cerebellum, decreased FA in the left corticospinal tract and body of corpus callosum, and decreased FC in multiple brain regions, involving bilateral postcentral gyrus, precentral gyrus and cerebellum anterior lobe, among others. Meanwhile, we found significant intermodal correlations among GMV of left precentral gyrus, FA of altered WM tracts, and FC of left precentral gyrus, and that WM microstructural alterations seem to play important roles in mediating the relationship between GMV and FC of the precentral gyrus, as well as the relationship between GMVs of the precentral gyrus and cerebellum. These findings provided evidence for the precentral degeneration and cerebellar compensation in ALS, and the involvement of WM alterations in mediating the relationship between pathologies of the primary motor cortex and cerebellum, which may contribute to a better understanding of the pathophysiology of ALS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ting Qiu
- Key Laboratory for NeuroInformation of Ministry of Education, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, People's Republic of China
| | - Yuanchao Zhang
- Key Laboratory for NeuroInformation of Ministry of Education, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, People's Republic of China
| | - Xie Tang
- Key Laboratory for NeuroInformation of Ministry of Education, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiaoping Liu
- Key Laboratory for NeuroInformation of Ministry of Education, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, People's Republic of China
| | - Yue Wang
- Key Laboratory for NeuroInformation of Ministry of Education, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, People's Republic of China
| | - Chaoyang Zhou
- Department of Radiology, Southwest Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, People's Republic of China
| | - Chunxia Luo
- Department of Neurology, Southwest Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, People's Republic of China
| | - Jiuquan Zhang
- Department of Radiology, Chongqing University Cancer Hospital & Chongqing Cancer Institute & Chongqing Cancer Hospital, Chongqing, People's Republic of China.,Key Laboratory for Biorheological Science and Technology of Ministry of Education (Chongqing University), Chongqing University Cancer Hospital & Chongqing Cancer Institute & Chongqing Cancer Hospital, Chongqing, People's Republic of China
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13
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Broad RJ, Gabel MC, Dowell NG, Schwartzman DJ, Seth AK, Zhang H, Alexander DC, Cercignani M, Leigh PN. Neurite orientation and dispersion density imaging (NODDI) detects cortical and corticospinal tract degeneration in ALS. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 2019; 90:404-411. [PMID: 30361295 PMCID: PMC6581155 DOI: 10.1136/jnnp-2018-318830] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2018] [Revised: 08/30/2018] [Accepted: 09/25/2018] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Corticospinal tract (CST) degeneration and cortical atrophy are consistent features of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). We hypothesised that neurite orientation dispersion and density imaging (NODDI), a multicompartment model of diffusion MRI, would reveal microstructural changes associated with ALS within the CST and precentral gyrus (PCG) 'in vivo'. METHODS 23 participants with sporadic ALS and 23 healthy controls underwent diffusion MRI. Neurite density index (NDI), orientation dispersion index (ODI) and free water fraction (isotropic compartment (ISO)) were derived. Whole brain voxel-wise analysis was performed to assess for group differences. Standard diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) parameters were computed for comparison. Subgroup analysis was performed to investigate for NODDI parameter differences relating to bulbar involvement. Correlation of NODDI parameters with clinical variables were also explored. The results were accepted as significant where p<0.05 after family-wise error correction at the cluster level, clusters formed with p<0.001. RESULTS In the ALS group NDI was reduced in the extensive regions of the CST, the corpus callosum and the right PCG. ODI was reduced in the right anterior internal capsule and the right PCG. Significant differences in NDI were detected between subgroups stratified according to the presence or absence of bulbar involvement. ODI and ISO correlated with disease duration. CONCLUSIONS NODDI demonstrates that axonal loss within the CST is a core feature of degeneration in ALS. This is the main factor contributing to the altered diffusivity profile detected using DTI. NODDI also identified dendritic alterations within the PCG, suggesting microstructural cortical dendritic changes occur together with CST axonal damage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca J Broad
- Department of Neuroscience, Trafford Centre for Biomedical Research, Brighton and Sussex Medical School, Brighton, UK .,Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals NHS Trust, Princess Royal Hospital, Haywards Heath, UK
| | - Matt C Gabel
- Department of Neuroscience, Trafford Centre for Biomedical Research, Brighton and Sussex Medical School, Brighton, UK
| | - Nicholas G Dowell
- Department of Neuroscience, Trafford Centre for Biomedical Research, Brighton and Sussex Medical School, Brighton, UK
| | | | - Anil K Seth
- Sackler Centre Consciousness Science, University of Sussex, Brighton, UK
| | - Hui Zhang
- Centre for Medical Image Computing and Department of Computer Science, University College London, London, UK
| | - Daniel C Alexander
- Centre for Medical Image Computing and Department of Computer Science, University College London, London, UK
| | - Mara Cercignani
- Department of Neuroscience, Trafford Centre for Biomedical Research, Brighton and Sussex Medical School, Brighton, UK.,Neuroimaging Laboratory, Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy
| | - P Nigel Leigh
- Department of Neuroscience, Trafford Centre for Biomedical Research, Brighton and Sussex Medical School, Brighton, UK.,Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals NHS Trust, Princess Royal Hospital, Haywards Heath, UK
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14
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Basaia S, Filippi M, Spinelli EG, Agosta F. White Matter Microstructure Breakdown in the Motor Neuron Disease Spectrum: Recent Advances Using Diffusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging. Front Neurol 2019; 10:193. [PMID: 30891004 PMCID: PMC6413536 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2019.00193] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2018] [Accepted: 02/14/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Motor neuron disease (MND) is a fatal progressive neurodegenerative disorder characterized by the breakdown of the motor system. The clinical spectrum of MND encompasses different phenotypes classified according to the relative involvement of the upper or lower motor neurons (LMN) and the presence of genetic or cognitive alterations, with clear prognostic implications. However, the pathophysiological differences of these phenotypes remain largely unknown. Recently, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has been recognized as a helpful in-vivo MND biomarker. An increasing number of studies is applying advanced neuroimaging techniques in order to elucidate the pathophysiological processes and to identify quantitative outcomes to be used in clinical trials. Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) is a non-invasive method to detect white matter alterations involving the upper motor neuron and extra-motor white matter tracts. According to this background, the aim of this review is to highlight the key role of MRI and especially DTI, summarizing cross-sectional and longitudinal results of different approaches applied in MND. Current literature suggests that DTI is a promising tool in order to define anatomical “signatures” of the different phenotypes of MND and to track in vivo the progressive spread of pathological proteins aggregates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silvia Basaia
- Neuroimaging Research Unit, Institute of Experimental Neurology, Division of Neuroscience, Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Milan, Italy
| | - Massimo Filippi
- Neuroimaging Research Unit, Institute of Experimental Neurology, Division of Neuroscience, Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Milan, Italy.,Department of Neurology, Institute of Experimental Neurology, Division of Neuroscience, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Milan, Italy
| | - Edoardo G Spinelli
- Neuroimaging Research Unit, Institute of Experimental Neurology, Division of Neuroscience, Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Milan, Italy
| | - Federica Agosta
- Neuroimaging Research Unit, Institute of Experimental Neurology, Division of Neuroscience, Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Milan, Italy
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15
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Christidi F, Karavasilis E, Riederer F, Zalonis I, Ferentinos P, Velonakis G, Xirou S, Rentzos M, Argiropoulos G, Zouvelou V, Zambelis T, Athanasakos A, Toulas P, Vadikolias K, Efstathopoulos E, Kollias S, Karandreas N, Kelekis N, Evdokimidis I. Gray matter and white matter changes in non-demented amyotrophic lateral sclerosis patients with or without cognitive impairment: A combined voxel-based morphometry and tract-based spatial statistics whole-brain analysis. Brain Imaging Behav 2019; 12:547-563. [PMID: 28425061 DOI: 10.1007/s11682-017-9722-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
The phenotypic heterogeneity in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) implies that patients show structural changes within but also beyond the motor cortex and corticospinal tract and furthermore outside the frontal lobes, even if frank dementia is not detected. The aim of the present study was to investigate both gray matter (GM) and white matter (WM) changes in non-demented amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) patients with or without cognitive impairment (ALS-motor and ALS-plus, respectively). Nineteen ALS-motor, 31 ALS-plus and 25 healthy controls (HC) underwent 3D-T1-weighted and 30-directional diffusion-weighted imaging on a 3 T MRI scanner. Voxel-based morphometry and tract-based spatial-statistics analysis were performed to examine GM volume (GMV) changes and WM differences in fractional anisotropy (FA), axial and radial diffusivity (AD, RD, respectively). Compared to HC, ALS-motor patients showed decreased GMV in frontal and cerebellar areas and increased GMV in right supplementary motor area, while ALS-plus patients showed diffuse GMV reduction in primary motor cortex bilaterally, frontotemporal areas, cerebellum and basal ganglia. ALS-motor patients had increased GMV in left precuneus compared to ALS-plus patients. We also found decreased FA and increased RD in the corticospinal tract bilaterally, the corpus callosum and extra-motor tracts in ALS-motor patients, and decreased FA and increased AD and RD in motor and several WM tracts in ALS-plus patients, compared to HC. Multimodal neuroimaging confirms motor and extra-motor GM and WM abnormalities in non-demented cognitively-impaired ALS patients (ALS-plus) and identifies early extra-motor brain pathology in ALS patients without cognitive impairment (ALS-motor).
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Affiliation(s)
- Foteini Christidi
- First Department of Neurology, Aeginition Hospital, Medical School, National & Kapodistrian University, Athens, Greece.
| | - Efstratios Karavasilis
- Second Department of Radiology, Attikon University Hospital, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University, Athens, Greece
| | - Franz Riederer
- Neurological Center Rosenhuegel and Karl Landsteiner Institute for Epilepsy Research and Cognitive Neurology, Vienna, Austria
| | - Ioannis Zalonis
- First Department of Neurology, Aeginition Hospital, Medical School, National & Kapodistrian University, Athens, Greece
| | - Panagiotis Ferentinos
- Second Department of Psychiatry, Attikon University Hospital, Medical School, National & Kapodistrian University, Athens, Greece
| | - Georgios Velonakis
- Second Department of Radiology, Attikon University Hospital, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University, Athens, Greece
| | - Sophia Xirou
- First Department of Neurology, Aeginition Hospital, Medical School, National & Kapodistrian University, Athens, Greece
| | - Michalis Rentzos
- First Department of Neurology, Aeginition Hospital, Medical School, National & Kapodistrian University, Athens, Greece
| | - Georgios Argiropoulos
- Second Department of Radiology, Attikon University Hospital, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University, Athens, Greece
| | - Vasiliki Zouvelou
- First Department of Neurology, Aeginition Hospital, Medical School, National & Kapodistrian University, Athens, Greece
| | - Thomas Zambelis
- First Department of Neurology, Aeginition Hospital, Medical School, National & Kapodistrian University, Athens, Greece
| | - Athanasios Athanasakos
- Second Department of Radiology, Attikon University Hospital, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University, Athens, Greece
| | - Panagiotis Toulas
- Second Department of Radiology, Attikon University Hospital, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University, Athens, Greece
| | | | - Efstathios Efstathopoulos
- Second Department of Radiology, Attikon University Hospital, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University, Athens, Greece
| | - Spyros Kollias
- Clinic of Neuroradiology, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Nikolaos Karandreas
- First Department of Neurology, Aeginition Hospital, Medical School, National & Kapodistrian University, Athens, Greece
| | - Nikolaos Kelekis
- Second Department of Radiology, Attikon University Hospital, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University, Athens, Greece
| | - Ioannis Evdokimidis
- First Department of Neurology, Aeginition Hospital, Medical School, National & Kapodistrian University, Athens, Greece
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16
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Alruwaili AR, Pannek K, Henderson RD, Gray M, Kurniawan ND, McCombe PA. Tract integrity in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: 6-month evaluation using MR diffusion tensor imaging. BMC Med Imaging 2019; 19:19. [PMID: 30795741 PMCID: PMC6387547 DOI: 10.1186/s12880-019-0319-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2018] [Accepted: 02/13/2019] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Background This study was performed to assess changes in diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) over time in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Methods We performed DTI in 23 ALS patients who had two magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans at 6 month intervals and to correlate results with clinical features. The revised ALS functional rating scale (ALSFRS–R) was administered at each clinical visit. Data analysis included voxel–based white matter tract–based spatial statistics (TBSS) and atlas–based region–of–interest (ROI) analysis of fractional anisotropy (FA) and mean diffusivity (MD). Results With TBSS, there were no significant changes between the two scans. The average change in FA and MD in the ROIs over 6 months was small and not significant after allowing for multiple comparisons. After allowing for multiple comparisons, there was no significant correlation of FA or MD with ALSFRS–R. Conclusion This study shows that there is little evidence of progressive changes in DTI over time in ALS. This could be because white matter is already substantially damaged by the time of onset of symptoms of ALS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashwag R Alruwaili
- Faculty of Medicine, The University of Queensland, Australia and King Saud University, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Kerstin Pannek
- The Australian e-Health Research Centre, CSIRO, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Robert D Henderson
- Department of Neurology, Faculty of Medicine, Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital and The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Marcus Gray
- Centre for Advanced Imaging, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Nyoman D Kurniawan
- Centre for Advanced Imaging, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Pamela A McCombe
- Faculty of Medicine, UQ Centre for Clinical Research, Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital, The University of Queensland, Herston, QLD, 4029, Australia.
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17
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Wright DK, Liu S, van der Poel C, McDonald SJ, Brady RD, Taylor L, Yang L, Gardner AJ, Ordidge R, O'Brien TJ, Johnston LA, Shultz SR. Traumatic Brain Injury Results in Cellular, Structural and Functional Changes Resembling Motor Neuron Disease. Cereb Cortex 2018; 27:4503-4515. [PMID: 27566977 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhw254] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2016] [Accepted: 07/23/2016] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) has been suggested to increase the risk of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). However, this link remains controversial and as such, here we performed experimental moderate TBI in rats and assessed for the presence of ALS-like pathological and functional abnormalities at both 1 and 12 weeks post-injury. Serial in-vivo magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) demonstrated that rats given a TBI had progressive atrophy of the motor cortices and degeneration of the corticospinal tracts compared with sham-injured rats. Immunofluorescence analyses revealed a progressive reduction in neurons, as well as increased phosphorylated transactive response DNA-binding protein 43 (TDP-43) and cytoplasmic TDP-43, in the motor cortex of rats given a TBI. Rats given a TBI also had fewer spinal cord motor neurons, increased expression of muscle atrophy markers, and altered muscle fiber contractile properties compared with sham-injured rats at 12 weeks, but not 1 week, post-injury. All of these changes occurred in the presence of persisting motor deficits. These findings resemble some of the pathological and functional abnormalities common in ALS and support the notion that TBI can result in a progressive neurodegenerative disease process pathologically bearing similarities to a motor neuron disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- David K Wright
- Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3010, Australia.,Animal Imaging Facility, Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia
| | - Shijie Liu
- Department of Medicine, The Royal Melbourne Hospital, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia
| | - Chris van der Poel
- Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Microbiology, La Trobe University, Melbourne, VIC 3086, Australia
| | - Stuart J McDonald
- Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Microbiology, La Trobe University, Melbourne, VIC 3086, Australia
| | - Rhys D Brady
- Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Microbiology, La Trobe University, Melbourne, VIC 3086, Australia
| | - Lily Taylor
- Department of Medicine, The Royal Melbourne Hospital, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia
| | - Li Yang
- Department of Medicine, The Royal Melbourne Hospital, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia.,Department of Histology and Embryology, Kunming Medical University, Kunming 650000, China
| | - Andrew J Gardner
- Centre for Translational Neuroscience and Mental Health, Department of Medicine and Public Health, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW 2308, Australia
| | - Roger Ordidge
- Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3010, Australia
| | - Terence J O'Brien
- Department of Medicine, The Royal Melbourne Hospital, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia
| | - Leigh A Johnston
- Animal Imaging Facility, Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia.,Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3010, Australia
| | - Sandy R Shultz
- Department of Medicine, The Royal Melbourne Hospital, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia
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18
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White matter volume loss in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: A meta-analysis of voxel-based morphometry studies. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2018; 83:110-117. [PMID: 29330136 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2018.01.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2017] [Revised: 12/23/2017] [Accepted: 01/09/2018] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Structural neuroimaging studies of white matter (WM) volume in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) using voxel-based morphometry (VBM) have yielded inconsistent findings. This study aimed to perform a quantitative voxel-based meta-analysis using effect-size signed differential mapping (ES-SDM) to establish a statistical consensus between published studies for WM volume alterations in ALS. The pooled meta-analysis revealed significant WM volume losses in the bilateral supplementary motor areas (SMAs), bilateral precentral gyri (PGs), left middle cerebellar peduncle and right cerebellum in patients with ALS, involving the corticospinal tract (CST), interhemispheric fibers, subcortical arcuate fibers, projection fibers to the striatum and cortico-ponto-cerebellar tract. The meta-regression showed that the ALS functional rating scale-revised (ALSFRS-R) was positively correlated with decreased WM volume in the bilateral SMAs, whereas illness duration was negatively correlated with WM volume reduction in the right SMA. This study provides a thorough profile of WM volume loss in ALS and robust evidence that ALS is a multisystem neurodegenerative disease that involves a variety of subcortical WM tracts extending beyond motor cortex involvement.
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19
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Beyond fractional anisotropy in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: the value of mean, axial, and radial diffusivity and its correlation with electrophysiological conductivity changes. Neuroradiology 2018; 60:505-515. [PMID: 29564498 DOI: 10.1007/s00234-018-2012-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2017] [Accepted: 02/26/2018] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE This paper aims to analyze the contribution of mean diffusivity (MD), axial diffusivity (AD), and radial diffusivity (RD) in the detection of microstructural abnormalities in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and to evaluate the degree of agreement between structural and functional changes through concomitant diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), and clinical assessment. METHODS Fourteen patients with ALS and 11 healthy, age- and gender-matched controls were included. All participants underwent magnetic resonance imaging including DTI. TMS was additionally performed in ALS patients. Differences in the distribution of DTI-derived measures were assessed using tract-based spatial statistical (TBSS) and volume of interest (VOI) analyses. Correlations between clinical, imaging, and neurophysiological findings were also assessed through TBSS. RESULTS ALS patients showed a significant increase in AD and MD involving the corticospinal tract (CST) and the pre-frontal white matter in the right posterior limb of the internal capsule (p < 0.05) when compared to the control group using TBSS, confirmed by VOI analyses. VOI analyses also showed increased AD in the corpus callosum (p < 0.05) in ALS patients. Fractional anisotropy (FA) in the right CST correlated significantly with upper motor neuron (UMN) score (r = - 0.79, p < 0.05), and right abductor digiti minimi central motor conduction time was highly correlated with RD in the left posterior internal capsule (r = - 0.81, p < 0.05). No other significant correlation was found. CONCLUSION MD, AD, and RD, besides FA, are able to further detect and characterize neurodegeneration in ALS. Furthermore, TMS and DTI appear to have a role as complementary diagnostic biomarkers of UMN dysfunction.
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Sangari S, Giron A, Marrelec G, Pradat PF, Marchand-Pauvert V. Abnormal cortical brain integration of somatosensory afferents in ALS. Clin Neurophysiol 2017; 129:874-884. [PMID: 29317192 DOI: 10.1016/j.clinph.2017.12.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2017] [Revised: 11/25/2017] [Accepted: 12/11/2017] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Infraclinical sensory alterations have been reported at early stages of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). While previous studies mainly focused on early somatosensory evoked potentials (SEPs), late SEPs, which reflect on cortical pathways involved in cognitive-motor functions, are relatively underinvestigated. Early and late SEPs were compared to assess their alterations in ALS. METHODS Median and ulnar nerves were electrically stimulated at the wrist, at 9 times the perceptual threshold, in 21 ALS patients without clinical evidence of sensory deficits, and 21 age- and gender-matched controls. SEPs were recorded at the Erb point using surface electrodes and using a needle inserted in the scalp, in front of the primary somatosensory area (with reference electrode on the ear lobe). RESULTS Compared to controls, ALS patients showed comparable peripheral (N9) and early cortical component (N20, P25, N30) reductions, while the late cortical components (N60, P100) were more depressed than the early ones. CONCLUSIONS The peripheral sensory alteration likely contributed to late SEP depression to a lesser extent than that of early SEPs. SIGNIFICANCE Late SEPs may provide new insights on abnormal cortical excitability affecting brain areas involved in cognitive-motor functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sina Sangari
- Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06, CNRS, Inserm, Laboratoire d'Imagerie Biomédicale, F-75013 Paris, France
| | - Alain Giron
- Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06, CNRS, Inserm, Laboratoire d'Imagerie Biomédicale, F-75013 Paris, France
| | - Guillaume Marrelec
- Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06, CNRS, Inserm, Laboratoire d'Imagerie Biomédicale, F-75013 Paris, France
| | - Pierre-François Pradat
- Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06, CNRS, Inserm, Laboratoire d'Imagerie Biomédicale, F-75013 Paris, France; Département de Neurologie, AP-HP, Hôpital Pitié-Salpêtrière, F-75013 Paris, France
| | - Véronique Marchand-Pauvert
- Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06, CNRS, Inserm, Laboratoire d'Imagerie Biomédicale, F-75013 Paris, France.
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Rasoanandrianina H, Grapperon AM, Taso M, Girard OM, Duhamel G, Guye M, Ranjeva JP, Attarian S, Verschueren A, Callot V. Region-specific impairment of the cervical spinal cord (SC) in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: A preliminary study using SC templates and quantitative MRI (diffusion tensor imaging/inhomogeneous magnetization transfer). NMR IN BIOMEDICINE 2017; 30:e3801. [PMID: 28926131 DOI: 10.1002/nbm.3801] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2017] [Revised: 07/24/2017] [Accepted: 08/07/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
In this preliminary study, our objective was to investigate the potential of high-resolution anatomical imaging, diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) and conventional/inhomogeneous magnetization transfer imaging [magnetization transfer (MT)/inhomogeneous magnetization transfer (ihMT)] at 3 T, analyzed with template-extracted regions of interest, to measure the atrophy and structural changes of white (WM) and gray (GM) matter spinal cord (SC) occurring in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Ten patients with ALS and 20 age-matched healthy controls were recruited. SC GM and WM areas were automatically segmented using dedicated templates. Atrophy indices were evaluated from T2 *-weighted images at each vertebral level from cervical C1 to C6. DTI and ihMT metrics were quantified within the corticospinal tract (CST), posterior sensory tract (PST) and anterior GM (aGM) horns at the C2 and C5 levels. Clinical disabilities of patients with ALS were evaluated using the Revised ALS Functional Rating Scale, upper motor neuron (UMN) and Medical Research Council scorings, and correlated with MR metrics. Compared with healthy controls, GM and WM atrophy was observed in patients with ALS, especially at lower cervical levels, where a strong correlation was also observed between GM atrophy and the UMN score (R = -0.75, p = 0.05 at C6). Interestingly, a significant decrease in ihMT ratio was found in all regions of interest (p < 0.0008), fractional anisotropy (FA) and MT ratios decreased significantly in CST, especially at C5 (p < 0.005), and λ// (axial diffusivity) decreased significantly in CST (p = 0.0004) and PST (p = 0.003) at C2. Strong correlations between MRI metrics and clinical scores were also found (0.47 < |R| < 0.87, p < 0.05). Altogether, these preliminary results suggest that high-resolution anatomical imaging and ihMT imaging, in addition to DTI, are valuable for the characterization of SC tissue impairment in ALS. In this study, in addition to an important SC WM demyelination, we also observed, for the first time in ALS, impairments of cervical aGM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Henitsoa Rasoanandrianina
- Aix-Marseille Université, CNRS, APHM, CRMBM, Hôpital de la Timone, CEMEREM, Marseille, France
- iLab-Spine International Associated Laboratory, Marseille-Montreal, France-Canada
- Aix-Marseille Université, IFSTTAR, LBA UMR T 24, Marseille, France
| | - Aude-Marie Grapperon
- Centre de Référence des Maladies neuro-musculaires et de la SLA, Hopital de La Timone, Marseille, France
| | - Manuel Taso
- Aix-Marseille Université, CNRS, APHM, CRMBM, Hôpital de la Timone, CEMEREM, Marseille, France
- iLab-Spine International Associated Laboratory, Marseille-Montreal, France-Canada
- Aix-Marseille Université, IFSTTAR, LBA UMR T 24, Marseille, France
| | - Olivier M Girard
- Aix-Marseille Université, CNRS, APHM, CRMBM, Hôpital de la Timone, CEMEREM, Marseille, France
| | - Guillaume Duhamel
- Aix-Marseille Université, CNRS, APHM, CRMBM, Hôpital de la Timone, CEMEREM, Marseille, France
| | - Maxime Guye
- Aix-Marseille Université, CNRS, APHM, CRMBM, Hôpital de la Timone, CEMEREM, Marseille, France
| | - Jean-Philippe Ranjeva
- Aix-Marseille Université, CNRS, APHM, CRMBM, Hôpital de la Timone, CEMEREM, Marseille, France
| | - Shahram Attarian
- Centre de Référence des Maladies neuro-musculaires et de la SLA, Hopital de La Timone, Marseille, France
- Aix Marseille Université, INSERM, GMGF, Marseille, France
| | - Annie Verschueren
- Centre de Référence des Maladies neuro-musculaires et de la SLA, Hopital de La Timone, Marseille, France
| | - Virginie Callot
- Aix-Marseille Université, CNRS, APHM, CRMBM, Hôpital de la Timone, CEMEREM, Marseille, France
- iLab-Spine International Associated Laboratory, Marseille-Montreal, France-Canada
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Grolez G, Moreau C, Danel-Brunaud V, Delmaire C, Lopes R, Pradat PF, El Mendili MM, Defebvre L, Devos D. The value of magnetic resonance imaging as a biomarker for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: a systematic review. BMC Neurol 2016; 16:155. [PMID: 27567641 PMCID: PMC5002331 DOI: 10.1186/s12883-016-0672-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2016] [Accepted: 08/10/2016] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal, rapidly progressive neurodegenerative disease that mainly affects the motor system. A number of potentially neuroprotective and neurorestorative disease-modifying drugs are currently in clinical development. At present, the evaluation of a drug's clinical efficacy in ALS is based on the ALS Functional Rating Scale Revised, motor tests and survival. However, these endpoints are general, variable and late-stage measures of the ALS disease process and thus require the long-term assessment of large cohorts. Hence, there is a need for more sensitive radiological biomarkers. Various sequences for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the brain and spinal cord have may have value as surrogate biomarkers for use in future clinical trials. Here, we review the MRI findings in ALS, their clinical correlations, and their limitations and potential role as biomarkers. METHODS The PubMed database was screened to identify studies using MRI in ALS. We included general MRI studies with a control group and an ALS group and longitudinal studies even if a control group was lacking. RESULTS A total of 116 studies were analysed with MRI data and clinical correlations. The most disease-sensitive MRI patterns are in motor regions but the brain is more broadly affected. CONCLUSION Despite the existing MRI biomarkers, there is a need for large cohorts with long term MRI and clinical follow-up. MRI assessment could be improved by standardized MRI protocols with multicentre studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- G. Grolez
- Department of Movement Disorders and Neurology, Lille University Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, University of Lille, Lille, France
- INSERM U1171, Lille University Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, University of Lille, Lille, France
| | - C. Moreau
- Department of Movement Disorders and Neurology, Lille University Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, University of Lille, Lille, France
- INSERM U1171, Lille University Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, University of Lille, Lille, France
| | - V. Danel-Brunaud
- Department of Movement Disorders and Neurology, Lille University Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, University of Lille, Lille, France
- INSERM U1171, Lille University Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, University of Lille, Lille, France
| | - C. Delmaire
- INSERM U1171, Lille University Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, University of Lille, Lille, France
- Department of Neuroradiology, Lille University Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, University of Lille, Lille, France
| | - R. Lopes
- INSERM U1171, Lille University Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, University of Lille, Lille, France
- Department of Neuroradiology, Lille University Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, University of Lille, Lille, France
| | - P. F. Pradat
- Laboratoire d’Imagerie Biomédicale, Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06, CNRS, INSERM, Paris, France
- Département des Maladies du Système Nerveux, Groupe Hospitalier Pitié-Salpêtrière, APHP, Paris, France
| | - M. M. El Mendili
- Laboratoire d’Imagerie Biomédicale, Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06, CNRS, INSERM, Paris, France
| | - L. Defebvre
- Department of Movement Disorders and Neurology, Lille University Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, University of Lille, Lille, France
- INSERM U1171, Lille University Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, University of Lille, Lille, France
| | - D. Devos
- Department of Movement Disorders and Neurology, Lille University Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, University of Lille, Lille, France
- INSERM U1171, Lille University Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, University of Lille, Lille, France
- Department of Medical Pharmacology, Lille University Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, University of Lille, Lille, France
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Crespi C, Cerami C, Dodich A, Canessa N, Iannaccone S, Corbo M, Lunetta C, Falini A, Cappa SF. Microstructural Correlates of Emotional Attribution Impairment in Non-Demented Patients with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0161034. [PMID: 27513746 PMCID: PMC4981464 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0161034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2016] [Accepted: 07/28/2016] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Impairments in the ability to recognize and attribute emotional states to others have been described in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis patients and linked to the dysfunction of key nodes of the emotional empathy network. Microstructural correlates of such disorders are still unexplored. We investigated the white-matter substrates of emotional attribution deficits in a sample of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis patients without cognitive decline. Thirteen individuals with either probable or definite amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and 14 healthy controls were enrolled in a Diffusion Tensor Imaging study and administered the Story-based Empathy Task, assessing the ability to attribute mental states to others (i.e., Intention and Emotion attribution conditions). As already reported, a significant global reduction of empathic skills, mainly driven by a failure in Emotion Attribution condition, was found in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis patients compared to healthy subjects. The severity of this deficit was significantly correlated with fractional anisotropy along the forceps minor, genu of corpus callosum, right uncinate and inferior fronto-occipital fasciculi. The involvement of frontal commissural fiber tracts and right ventral associative fronto-limbic pathways is the microstructural hallmark of the impairment of high-order processing of socio-emotional stimuli in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. These results support the notion of the neurofunctional and neuroanatomical continuum between amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and frontotemporal dementia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chiara Crespi
- Università Vita-Salute San Raffaele, Milano, Italy
- Division of Neuroscience, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milano, Italy
- * E-mail:
| | - Chiara Cerami
- Università Vita-Salute San Raffaele, Milano, Italy
- Division of Neuroscience, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milano, Italy
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, IRCCS San Raffaele Turro, Milano, Italy
| | - Alessandra Dodich
- Università Vita-Salute San Raffaele, Milano, Italy
- Division of Neuroscience, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milano, Italy
| | - Nicola Canessa
- Division of Neuroscience, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milano, Italy
- NeTS Center, Scuola Universitaria Superiore IUSS, Pavia, Italy
| | - Sandro Iannaccone
- Division of Neuroscience, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milano, Italy
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, IRCCS San Raffaele Turro, Milano, Italy
| | - Massimo Corbo
- Department of Neurorehabilitation Sciences, Casa Cura Policlinico, Milano, Italy
| | - Christian Lunetta
- NEuroMuscolar Omnicentre, Fondazione Serena Onlus, Niguarda Ca’ Granda Hospital, Milano, Italy
| | - Andrea Falini
- Università Vita-Salute San Raffaele, Milano, Italy
- Division of Neuroscience, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milano, Italy
- CERMAC – Neuroradiology, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milano, Italy
| | - Stefano F. Cappa
- Division of Neuroscience, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milano, Italy
- NeTS Center, Scuola Universitaria Superiore IUSS, Pavia, Italy
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Shen D, Cui L, Fang J, Cui B, Li D, Tai H. Voxel-Wise Meta-Analysis of Gray Matter Changes in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. Front Aging Neurosci 2016; 8:64. [PMID: 27065078 PMCID: PMC4811926 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2016.00064] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2015] [Accepted: 03/14/2016] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Increasing neuroimaging studies have revealed gray matter (GM) anomalies of several brain regions by voxel-based morphometry (VBM) studies in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). A voxel-wise meta-analysis was conducted to integrate the reported studies to determine the consistent GM alterations in ALS based on VBM methods. Methods: Ovid Medline, Pubmed, Emabase, and BrainMap database were searched for relevant studies.Data were extracted by two independent researchers. Voxel-wise meta-analysis was performed using the effect-size signed differential mapping (ES-SDM) software. Results: Twenty-nine VBM studies comprising 638 subjects with ALS and 622 healthy controls (HCs) met inclusion criteria.The global GM volumes of ALS patients were significantly decreased compared with those of HCs. GM reductions in patients were mainly located in the right precentral gyrus, the left Rolandic operculum, the left lenticular nucleus and the right anterior cingulate/paracingulate gyri. The right precentral gyrus and the left inferior frontal gyrus might be potential anatomical biomarkers to evaluate the severity of the disease, and longer disease duration was associated with more GM atrophy in the left frontal aslant tract and the right precentral gyrus in ALS patients. Conclusion: The results support that ALS is a complex degenerative disease involving multisystems besides the motor system.The mechanism of asymmetric atrophy of the motor cortex and the implication of Rolandic operculum involvement in ALS need to be further elucidated in future studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dongchao Shen
- Department of Neurology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Peking Union Medical College and Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences Beijing, China
| | - Liying Cui
- Department of Neurology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Peking Union Medical College and Chinese Academy of Medical SciencesBeijing, China; Neuroscience Center, Chinese Academy of Medical SciencesBeijing, China
| | - Jia Fang
- Department of Neurology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Peking Union Medical College and Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences Beijing, China
| | - Bo Cui
- Department of Neurology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Peking Union Medical College and Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences Beijing, China
| | - Dawei Li
- Department of Neurology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Peking Union Medical College and Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences Beijing, China
| | - Hongfei Tai
- Department of Neurology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Peking Union Medical College and Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences Beijing, China
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Maani R, Yang YH, Emery D, Kalra S. Cerebral Degeneration in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Revealed by 3-Dimensional Texture Analysis. Front Neurosci 2016; 10:120. [PMID: 27064416 PMCID: PMC4811946 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2016.00120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2015] [Accepted: 03/11/2016] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction: Routine MR images do not consistently reveal pathological changes in the brain in ALS. Texture analysis, a method to quantitate voxel intensities and their patterns and interrelationships, can detect changes in images not apparent to the naked eye. Our objective was to evaluate cerebral degeneration in ALS using 3-dimensional texture analysis of MR images of the brain. Methods: In a case-control design, voxel-based texture analysis was performed on T1-weighted MR images of 20 healthy subjects and 19 patients with ALS. Four texture features, namely, autocorrelation, sum of squares variance, sum average, and sum variance were computed. Texture features were compared between the groups by statistical parametric mapping and correlated with clinical measures of disability and upper motor neuron dysfunction. Results: Texture features were different in ALS in motor regions including the precentral gyrus and corticospinal tracts. To a lesser extent, changes were also found in the thalamus, cingulate gyrus, and temporal lobe. Texture features in the precentral gyrus correlated with disease duration, and in the corticospinal tract they correlated with finger tapping speed. Conclusions: Changes in MR image textures are present in motor and non-motor regions in ALS and correlate with clinical features. Whole brain texture analysis has potential in providing biomarkers of cerebral degeneration in ALS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rouzbeh Maani
- Department of Computing Science, University of Alberta Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Yee-Hong Yang
- Department of Computing Science, University of Alberta Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Derek Emery
- Department of Radiology and Diagnostic Imaging, University of Alberta Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Sanjay Kalra
- Departments of Medicine, Computing Science, and Biomedical Engineering, University of Alberta Edmonton, AB, Canada
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Rocha AJD, Nunes RH, Maia Jr. ACM. Dementia in motor neuron disease: reviewing the role of MRI in diagnosis. Dement Neuropsychol 2015. [PMID: 29213986 PMCID: PMC5619319 DOI: 10.1590/1980-57642015dn94000369] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The superimposed clinical features of motor neuron disease (MND) and
frontotemporal dementia (FTD) comprise a distinct, yet not fully understood,
neurological overlap syndrome whose clinicopathological basis has recently been
reviewed. Here, we present a review of the clinical, pathological and genetic
basis of MND-FTD and the role of MRI in its diagnosis. In doing so, we discuss
current techniques that depict the involvement of the selective corticospinal
tract (CST) and temporal lobe in MND-FTD.
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27
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Motor and extra-motor gray matter atrophy in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: quantitative meta-analyses of voxel-based morphometry studies. Neurobiol Aging 2015; 36:3288-3299. [PMID: 26362941 DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2015.08.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2015] [Revised: 08/11/2015] [Accepted: 08/14/2015] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Considerable evidence from previous voxel-based morphometry studies indicates widespread but heterogeneous gray matter (GM) deficits in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Here, we aimed to investigate the concurrence across voxel-based morphometry studies to help clarify the spatial pattern of GM abnormalities that underlie this condition. Comprehensive meta-analyses to assess regional GM anomalies in ALS were conducted with the Anisotropic Effect Size version of Signed Differential Mapping software package. Twenty studies, which reported 22 comparisons and were composed of 454 ALS patients and 426 healthy controls, were included in the meta-analyses. Regional GM atrophy in ALS was consistently found in the frontal, temporal, and somatosensory areas. Meta-regression demonstrated that the disease duration, disease severity, and age were significantly related to GM deficits in ALS patients. The present meta-analysis provides convergent evidence that ALS is a multisystem degenerative disorder that is accompanied by a unique and widespread pattern of robust cortical GM atrophy. Future studies should investigate whether this atrophy pattern is a diagnostic and prognostic marker.
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Verstraete E, Turner MR, Grosskreutz J, Filippi M, Benatar M. Mind the gap: The mismatch between clinical and imaging metrics in ALS. Amyotroph Lateral Scler Frontotemporal Degener 2015; 16:524-9. [DOI: 10.3109/21678421.2015.1051989] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Esther Verstraete
- Department of Neurology, Rudolf Magnus Institute of Neuroscience, University Medical Centre Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Martin R. Turner
- Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Oxford University, Oxford, UK
| | - Julian Grosskreutz
- Hans-Berger Department of Neurology, University Hospital Jena, Jena, Germany
| | - Massimo Filippi
- Neuroimaging Research Unit and Department of Neurology, Institute of Experimental Neurology, Division of Neuroscience, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Milan, Italy
| | - Michael Benatar
- Department of Neurology, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida, USA
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De Marco M, Merico A, Berta G, Segato N, Citton V, Baglione A, Venneri A. Morphometric correlates of dysarthric deficit in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Amyotroph Lateral Scler Frontotemporal Degener 2015; 16:464-72. [DOI: 10.3109/21678421.2015.1056191] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Matteo De Marco
- San Camillo Hospital Foundation, Venice Lido, Venice, Italy
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | - Antonio Merico
- San Camillo Hospital Foundation, Venice Lido, Venice, Italy
| | - Giulia Berta
- San Camillo Hospital Foundation, Venice Lido, Venice, Italy
| | | | | | | | - Annalena Venneri
- San Camillo Hospital Foundation, Venice Lido, Venice, Italy
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
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30
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Goveas J, O'Dwyer L, Mascalchi M, Cosottini M, Diciotti S, De Santis S, Passamonti L, Tessa C, Toschi N, Giannelli M. Diffusion-MRI in neurodegenerative disorders. Magn Reson Imaging 2015; 33:853-76. [PMID: 25917917 DOI: 10.1016/j.mri.2015.04.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2014] [Revised: 04/18/2015] [Accepted: 04/19/2015] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
The ability to image the whole brain through ever more subtle and specific methods/contrasts has come to play a key role in understanding the basis of brain abnormalities in several diseases. In magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), "diffusion" (i.e. the random, thermally-induced displacements of water molecules over time) represents an extraordinarily sensitive contrast mechanism, and the exquisite structural detail it affords has proven useful in a vast number of clinical as well as research applications. Since diffusion-MRI is a truly quantitative imaging technique, the indices it provides can serve as potential imaging biomarkers which could allow early detection of pathological alterations as well as tracking and possibly predicting subtle changes in follow-up examinations and clinical trials. Accordingly, diffusion-MRI has proven useful in obtaining information to better understand the microstructural changes and neurophysiological mechanisms underlying various neurodegenerative disorders. In this review article, we summarize and explore the main applications, findings, perspectives as well as challenges and future research of diffusion-MRI in various neurodegenerative disorders including Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Huntington's disease and degenerative ataxias.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph Goveas
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine, and Institute for Health and Society, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA
| | - Laurence O'Dwyer
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Mario Mascalchi
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Biomedical Sciences, University of Florence, Florence, Italy; Quantitative and Functional Neuroradiology Research Program at Meyer Children and Careggi Hospitals of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Mirco Cosottini
- Department of Translational Research and New Surgical and Medical Technologies, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy; Unit of Neuroradiology, Pisa University Hospital "Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria Pisana", Pisa, Italy
| | - Stefano Diciotti
- Department of Electrical, Electronic, and Information Engineering "Guglielmo Marconi", University of Bologna, Cesena, Italy
| | - Silvia De Santis
- Cardiff University Brain Research Imaging Centre (CUBRIC), School of Psychology, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK
| | - Luca Passamonti
- Institute of Bioimaging and Molecular Physiology, National Research Council, Catanzaro, Italy; Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Carlo Tessa
- Division of Radiology, "Versilia" Hospital, AUSL 12 Viareggio, Lido di Camaiore, Italy
| | - Nicola Toschi
- Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, Medical Physics Section, University of Rome "Tor Vergata", Rome, Italy; Department of Radiology, Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Boston, MA, USA; Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Marco Giannelli
- Unit of Medical Physics, Pisa University Hospital "Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria Pisana", Pisa, Italy.
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Smethurst P, Sidle KCL, Hardy J. Review: Prion-like mechanisms of transactive response DNA binding protein of 43 kDa (TDP-43) in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Neuropathol Appl Neurobiol 2015; 41:578-97. [PMID: 25487060 DOI: 10.1111/nan.12206] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2014] [Accepted: 12/03/2014] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal devastating neurodegenerative disorder which predominantly affects the motor neurons in the brain and spinal cord. The death of the motor neurons in ALS causes subsequent muscle atrophy, paralysis and eventual death. Clinical and biological evidence now demonstrates that ALS has many similarities to prion disease in terms of disease onset, phenotype variability and progressive spread. The pathognomonic ubiquitinated inclusions deposited in the neurons and glial cells in brains and spinal cords of patients with ALS and fronto-temporal lobar degeneration with ubiquitinated inclusions contain aggregated transactive response DNA binding protein of 43 kDa (TDP-43), and evidence now suggests that TDP-43 has cellular prion-like properties. The cellular mechanisms of prion protein misfolding and aggregation are thought to be responsible for the characteristics of prion disease. Therefore, there is a strong mechanistic basis for a prion-like behaviour of the TDP-43 protein being responsible for some characteristics of ALS. In this review, we compare the prion-like mechanisms of TDP-43 to the clinical and biological nature of ALS in order to investigate how this protein could be responsible for some of the characteristic properties of the disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Phillip Smethurst
- Department of Molecular Neuroscience, UCL Institute of Neurology, Queen Square House, London, UK
| | | | - John Hardy
- Department of Molecular Neuroscience, UCL Institute of Neurology, Queen Square House, London, UK
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Rosskopf J, Müller HP, Dreyhaupt J, Gorges M, Ludolph AC, Kassubek J. Ex post facto assessment of diffusion tensor imaging metrics from different MRI protocols: preparing for multicentre studies in ALS. Amyotroph Lateral Scler Frontotemporal Degener 2015; 16:92-101. [PMID: 25574564 DOI: 10.3109/21678421.2014.977297] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) for assessing ALS-associated white matter alterations has still not reached the level of a neuroimaging biomarker. Since large-scale multicentre DTI studies in ALS may be hampered by differences in scanning protocols, an approach for pooling of DTI data acquired with different protocols was investigated. Three hundred and nine datasets from 170 ALS patients and 139 controls were collected ex post facto from a monocentric database reflecting different scanning protocols. A 3D correction algorithm was introduced for a combined analysis of DTI metrics despite different acquisition protocols, with the focus on the CST as the tract correlate of ALS neuropathological stage 1. A homogenous set of data was obtained by application of 3D correction matrices. Results showed that a fractional anisotropy (FA) threshold of 0.41 could be defined to discriminate ALS patients from controls (sensitivity/specificity, 74%/72%). For the remaining test sample, sensitivity/specificity values of 68%/74% were obtained. In conclusion, the objective was to merge data recorded with different DTI protocols with 3D correction matrices for analyses at group level. These post processing tools might facilitate analysis of large study samples in a multicentre setting for DTI analysis at group level to aid in establishing DTI as a non-invasive biomarker for ALS.
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Caverzasi E, Mandelli ML, DeArmond SJ, Hess CP, Vitali P, Papinutto N, Oehler A, Miller BL, Lobach IV, Bastianello S, Geschwind MD, Henry RG. White matter involvement in sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2014; 137:3339-54. [PMID: 25367029 PMCID: PMC4240303 DOI: 10.1093/brain/awu298] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease is considered primarily a disease of grey matter, although the extent of white matter involvement has not been well described. We used diffusion tensor imaging to study the white matter in sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease compared to healthy control subjects and to correlated magnetic resonance imaging findings with histopathology. Twenty-six patients with sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease and nine age- and gender-matched healthy control subjects underwent volumetric T1-weighted and diffusion tensor imaging. Six patients had post-mortem brain analysis available for assessment of neuropathological findings associated with prion disease. Parcellation of the subcortical white matter was performed on 3D T1-weighted volumes using Freesurfer. Diffusion tensor imaging maps were calculated and transformed to the 3D-T1 space; the average value for each diffusion metric was calculated in the total white matter and in regional volumes of interest. Tract-based spatial statistics analysis was also performed to investigate the deeper white matter tracts. There was a significant reduction of mean (P = 0.002), axial (P = 0.0003) and radial (P = 0.0134) diffusivities in the total white matter in sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. Mean diffusivity was significantly lower in most white matter volumes of interest (P < 0.05, corrected for multiple comparisons), with a generally symmetric pattern of involvement in sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. Mean diffusivity reduction reflected concomitant decrease of both axial and radial diffusivity, without appreciable changes in white matter anisotropy. Tract-based spatial statistics analysis showed significant reductions of mean diffusivity within the white matter of patients with sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, mainly in the left hemisphere, with a strong trend (P = 0.06) towards reduced mean diffusivity in most of the white matter bilaterally. In contrast, by visual assessment there was no white matter abnormality either on T2-weighted or diffusion-weighted images. Widespread reduction in white matter mean diffusivity, however, was apparent visibly on the quantitative attenuation coefficient maps compared to healthy control subjects. Neuropathological analysis showed diffuse astrocytic gliosis and activated microglia in the white matter, rare prion deposition and subtle subcortical microvacuolization, and patchy foci of demyelination with no evident white matter axonal degeneration. Decreased mean diffusivity on attenuation coefficient maps might be associated with astrocytic gliosis. We show for the first time significant global reduced mean diffusivity within the white matter in sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, suggesting possible primary involvement of the white matter, rather than changes secondary to neuronal degeneration/loss. Sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (sCJD) is considered primarily a disease of grey matter. However, Caverzasi et al. now show a global decrease in mean diffusivity in white matter. The changes appear to be associated with reactive astrocytic gliosis and activated microglia, and suggest primary involvement of the white matter in sCJD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eduardo Caverzasi
- 1 Department of Neurology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA 2 Memory and Aging Center, Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Maria Luisa Mandelli
- 2 Memory and Aging Center, Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Stephen J DeArmond
- 3 Department of Pathology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA 4 Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Christopher P Hess
- 5 Neuroradiology Division, Department of Radiology & Biomedical Imaging, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Paolo Vitali
- 6 Brain MRI 3T Mondino Research Center, C. Mondino National Neurological Institute, Pavia 27100, Italy
| | - Nico Papinutto
- 1 Department of Neurology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Abby Oehler
- 3 Department of Pathology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA 4 Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Bruce L Miller
- 2 Memory and Aging Center, Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Irina V Lobach
- 1 Department of Neurology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Stefano Bastianello
- 7 Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia, Pavia 27100, Italy
| | - Michael D Geschwind
- 2 Memory and Aging Center, Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Roland G Henry
- 1 Department of Neurology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA 8 Bioengineering Graduate Group, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA 9 Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
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Voxel-based MRI intensitometry reveals extent of cerebral white matter pathology in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. PLoS One 2014; 9:e104894. [PMID: 25133577 PMCID: PMC4136773 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0104894] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2014] [Accepted: 07/17/2014] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is characterized by progressive loss of upper and lower motor neurons. Advanced MRI techniques such as diffusion tensor imaging have shown great potential in capturing a common white matter pathology. However the sensitivity is variable and diffusion tensor imaging is not yet applicable to the routine clinical environment. Voxel-based morphometry (VBM) has revealed grey matter changes in ALS, but the bias-reducing algorithms inherent to traditional VBM are not optimized for the assessment of the white matter changes. We have developed a novel approach to white matter analysis, namely voxel-based intensitometry (VBI). High resolution T1-weighted MRI was acquired at 1.5 Tesla in 30 ALS patients and 37 age-matched healthy controls. VBI analysis at the group level revealed widespread white matter intensity increases in the corticospinal tracts, corpus callosum, sub-central, frontal and occipital white matter tracts and cerebellum. VBI results correlated with disease severity (ALSFRS-R) and patterns of cerebral involvement differed between bulbar- and limb-onset. VBI would be easily translatable to the routine clinical environment, and once optimized for individual analysis offers significant biomarker potential in ALS.
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Adachi Y, Sato N, Saito Y, Kimura Y, Nakata Y, Ito K, Kamiya K, Matsuda H, Tsukamoto T, Ogawa M. Usefulness of SWI for the Detection of Iron in the Motor Cortex in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. J Neuroimaging 2014; 25:443-51. [PMID: 24888543 DOI: 10.1111/jon.12127] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2013] [Revised: 01/07/2014] [Accepted: 03/02/2014] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE The purpose of the present retrospective study was to evaluate the sensitivity of susceptibility-weighted imaging (SWI) compared to conventional spin-echo T2-weighted and T2*-weighted images in detecting iron deposition in the motor cortex of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) patients in comparison with age-matched normal controls. We also investigated the etiology of the low signal referring to the pathology of one autopsy case. METHODS This retrospective magnetic resonance (MR) study included 23 ALS patients and 28 age-matched normal controls. The signal intensity of the motor cortex was scored by SWI, conventional T2-weighted images and T2*-weighted images. A postmortem study of one patient was also performed. RESULTS On SWI, there was a significant difference between the precentral cortical signal intensity scores in the ALS patients and the controls (P < .0001). The total scores of signal intensities of the precentral cortex were positively correlated with age in the normal controls (r = .494), but no correlation was observed in the ALS patients. The postmortem study showed intensely stained microglias and macrophages after antiferritin antibody staining in the precentral cortices. CONCLUSIONS Decreased signal intensity of the motor cortex on SWI may serve a useful role in ALS diagnoses, particularly in young patients. MR images were also helpful for speculating on the etiology of ALS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuko Adachi
- National Center Hospital of Neurology and Psychiatry Radiology, Kodaira, Tokyo, Japan
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Kassubek J, Müller HP, Del Tredici K, Brettschneider J, Pinkhardt EH, Lulé D, Böhm S, Braak H, Ludolph AC. Diffusion tensor imaging analysis of sequential spreading of disease in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis confirms patterns of TDP-43 pathology. Brain 2014; 137:1733-40. [PMID: 24736303 DOI: 10.1093/brain/awu090] [Citation(s) in RCA: 144] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Diffusion tensor imaging can identify amyotrophic lateral sclerosis-associated patterns of brain alterations at the group level. Recently, a neuropathological staging system for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis has shown that amyotrophic lateral sclerosis may disseminate in a sequential regional pattern during four disease stages. The objective of the present study was to apply a new methodological diffusion tensor imaging-based approach to automatically analyse in vivo the fibre tracts that are prone to be involved at each neuropathological stage of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Two data samples, consisting of 130 diffusion tensor imaging data sets acquired at 1.5 T from 78 patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and 52 control subjects; and 55 diffusion-tensor imaging data sets at 3.0 T from 33 patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and 22 control subjects, were analysed by a tract of interest-based fibre tracking approach to analyse five tracts that become involved during the course of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: the corticospinal tract (stage 1); the corticorubral and the corticopontine tracts (stage 2); the corticostriatal pathway (stage 3); the proximal portion of the perforant path (stage 4); and two reference pathways. The statistical analyses of tracts of interest showed differences between patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and control subjects for all tracts. The significance level of the comparisons at the group level was lower, the higher the disease stage with corresponding involved fibre tracts. Both the clinical phenotype as assessed by the amyotrophic lateral sclerosis functional rating scale-revised and disease duration correlated significantly with the resulting staging scheme. In summary, the tract of interest-based technique allowed for individual analysis of predefined tract structures, thus making it possible to image in vivo the disease stages in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. This approach can be used not only for individual clinical work-up purposes, but enlarges the spectrum of potential non-invasive surrogate markers as a neuroimaging-based read-out for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis studies within a clinical context.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jan Kassubek
- 1 Department of Neurology, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany
| | | | - Kelly Del Tredici
- 2 Section Clinical Neuroanatomy, Department of Neurology, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany
| | - Johannes Brettschneider
- 1 Department of Neurology, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany2 Section Clinical Neuroanatomy, Department of Neurology, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany
| | | | - Dorothée Lulé
- 1 Department of Neurology, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany
| | - Sarah Böhm
- 1 Department of Neurology, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany
| | - Heiko Braak
- 2 Section Clinical Neuroanatomy, Department of Neurology, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany
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Lessons of ALS imaging: Pitfalls and future directions - A critical review. NEUROIMAGE-CLINICAL 2014; 4:436-43. [PMID: 24624329 PMCID: PMC3950559 DOI: 10.1016/j.nicl.2014.02.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 90] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2013] [Revised: 02/23/2014] [Accepted: 02/23/2014] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Background While neuroimaging in ALS has gained unprecedented momentum in recent years, little progress has been made in the development of viable diagnostic, prognostic and monitoring markers. Objectives To identify and discuss the common pitfalls in ALS imaging studies and to reflect on optimal study designs based on pioneering studies. Methods A “PubMed”-based literature search on ALS was performed based on neuroimaging-related keywords. Study limitations were systematically reviewed and classified so that stereotypical trends could be identified. Results Common shortcomings, such as relatively small sample sizes, statistically underpowered study designs, lack of disease controls, poorly characterised patient cohorts and a large number of conflicting studies, remain a significant challenge to the field. Imaging data of ALS continue to be interpreted at a group-level, as opposed to meaningful individual-patient inferences. Conclusions A systematic, critical review of ALS imaging has identified stereotypical shortcomings, the lessons of which should be considered in the design of future prospective MRI studies. At a time when large multicentre studies are underway a candid discussion of these factors is particularly timely. Stereotypical shortcomings can be identified in ALS neuroimaging studies. A systematic discussion of ALS study limitations is particularly timely. Individual patient data meta-analyses and multicentre studies are urgently required. The gaps identified in ALS imaging indicate exciting research opportunities.
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Key Words
- AD, axial diffusivity
- Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
- Biomarker
- C9orf72, chromosome 9 open reading frame 72
- DTI, diffusion tensor imaging
- FA, fractional anisotropy
- MD, mean diffusivity
- MEG, magnetoencephalography
- MRI
- MRS, magnetic resonance spectroscopy
- MUNE, motor unit number estimation
- PET
- PET, positron emission tomography
- PNS, peripheral nervous system
- RD, radial diffusivity
- ROI, region of interest
- SPECT, single photon emission computed tomography
- Spectroscopy
- TMS, transcranial magnetic stimulation
- VBM, voxel-based morphometry
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Grapperon AM, Verschueren A, Duclos Y, Confort-Gouny S, Soulier E, Loundou AD, Guye M, Cozzone PJ, Pouget J, Ranjeva JP, Attarian S. Association between structural and functional corticospinal involvement in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis assessed by diffusion tensor MRI and triple stimulation technique. Muscle Nerve 2014; 49:551-7. [DOI: 10.1002/mus.23957] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2013] [Revised: 06/15/2013] [Accepted: 07/09/2013] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Aude-Marie Grapperon
- Department of Neurology and Neuromuscular Diseases; CHU La Timone; 264 rue Saint-Pierre 13385 Marseille France
| | - Annie Verschueren
- Department of Neurology and Neuromuscular Diseases; CHU La Timone; 264 rue Saint-Pierre 13385 Marseille France
| | - Yann Duclos
- Department of Neurology and Neuromuscular Diseases; CHU La Timone; 264 rue Saint-Pierre 13385 Marseille France
| | - Sylviane Confort-Gouny
- Biological and Medical Magnetic Resonance Center (CRMBM) and Center for Metabolic Exploration using Magnetic Resonance (CEMEREM) (UMR 7339); CHU La Timone; Marseilles France
| | - Elisabeth Soulier
- Biological and Medical Magnetic Resonance Center (CRMBM) and Center for Metabolic Exploration using Magnetic Resonance (CEMEREM) (UMR 7339); CHU La Timone; Marseilles France
| | - Anderson D. Loundou
- Department of Methodological Aid to Clinical Research; CHU La Timone; Marseilles France
| | - Maxime Guye
- Biological and Medical Magnetic Resonance Center (CRMBM) and Center for Metabolic Exploration using Magnetic Resonance (CEMEREM) (UMR 7339); CHU La Timone; Marseilles France
| | - Patrick J. Cozzone
- Biological and Medical Magnetic Resonance Center (CRMBM) and Center for Metabolic Exploration using Magnetic Resonance (CEMEREM) (UMR 7339); CHU La Timone; Marseilles France
| | - Jean Pouget
- Department of Neurology and Neuromuscular Diseases; CHU La Timone; 264 rue Saint-Pierre 13385 Marseille France
| | - Jean-Philippe Ranjeva
- Biological and Medical Magnetic Resonance Center (CRMBM) and Center for Metabolic Exploration using Magnetic Resonance (CEMEREM) (UMR 7339); CHU La Timone; Marseilles France
| | - Shahram Attarian
- Department of Neurology and Neuromuscular Diseases; CHU La Timone; 264 rue Saint-Pierre 13385 Marseille France
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Diffusion tensor MRI changes in gray structures of the frontal-subcortical circuits in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Neurol Sci 2014; 35:911-8. [DOI: 10.1007/s10072-013-1626-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2013] [Accepted: 12/28/2013] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
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40
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Diffusion tensor imaging patterns differ in bulbar and limb onset amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Clin Neurol Neurosurg 2013; 115:1281-7. [DOI: 10.1016/j.clineuro.2012.11.031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2012] [Revised: 11/27/2012] [Accepted: 11/29/2012] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
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Prell T, Grosskreutz J. The involvement of the cerebellum in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Amyotroph Lateral Scler Frontotemporal Degener 2013; 14:507-15. [DOI: 10.3109/21678421.2013.812661] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
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Müller HP, Kassubek J. Diffusion tensor magnetic resonance imaging in the analysis of neurodegenerative diseases. J Vis Exp 2013. [PMID: 23928996 DOI: 10.3791/50427] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) techniques provide information on the microstructural processes of the cerebral white matter (WM) in vivo. The present applications are designed to investigate differences of WM involvement patterns in different brain diseases, especially neurodegenerative disorders, by use of different DTI analyses in comparison with matched controls. DTI data analysis is performed in a variate fashion, i.e. voxelwise comparison of regional diffusion direction-based metrics such as fractional anisotropy (FA), together with fiber tracking (FT) accompanied by tractwise fractional anisotropy statistics (TFAS) at the group level in order to identify differences in FA along WM structures, aiming at the definition of regional patterns of WM alterations at the group level. Transformation into a stereotaxic standard space is a prerequisite for group studies and requires thorough data processing to preserve directional inter-dependencies. The present applications show optimized technical approaches for this preservation of quantitative and directional information during spatial normalization in data analyses at the group level. On this basis, FT techniques can be applied to group averaged data in order to quantify metrics information as defined by FT. Additionally, application of DTI methods, i.e. differences in FA-maps after stereotaxic alignment, in a longitudinal analysis at an individual subject basis reveal information about the progression of neurological disorders. Further quality improvement of DTI based results can be obtained during preprocessing by application of a controlled elimination of gradient directions with high noise levels. In summary, DTI is used to define a distinct WM pathoanatomy of different brain diseases by the combination of whole brain-based and tract-based DTI analysis.
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Dysfunctions within limbic-motor networks in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Neurobiol Aging 2013; 34:2499-509. [PMID: 23806980 DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2013.05.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2013] [Revised: 05/09/2013] [Accepted: 05/23/2013] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Previous studies have shown that affective symptoms are part of the clinical picture in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), the most common motor neuron disorder in elderly people. Diffuse neurodegeneration of limbic regions (e.g., prefrontal cortex [PFC], amygdala) was demonstrated in ALS post-mortem, although the mechanisms of emotional dysregulation in ALS in vivo remain unclear. Using functional imaging, we assessed the brain responses to emotional faces in 11 cognitively unimpaired ALS patients and 12 healthy controls (HCs). We tested whether regional activities and connectivity patterns in the limbic system differed between ALS patients and HCs and whether the variability in clinical measures modulated the neuroimaging data. Relative to HCs, ALS patients displayed greater activation in a series of PFC areas and altered left amygdala-PFC connectivity. Anxiety modulated the right amygdala-PFC connectivity in HCs but not in ALS patients. Reduced right premotor cortex activity and altered left amygdala-supplementary motor area connectivity were associated with longer disease duration and greater disease severity, respectively. Our findings demonstrate dysfunctions of the limbic system in ALS patients at early stages of the disease, and extend our knowledge about the interplay between emotional brain areas and the regions traditionally implicated in motor control.
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Blain-Moraes S, Mashour GA, Lee H, Huggins JE, Lee U. Altered cortical communication in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Neurosci Lett 2013; 543:172-6. [PMID: 23567743 DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2013.03.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2013] [Revised: 03/16/2013] [Accepted: 03/28/2013] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a disorder associated primarily with the degeneration of the motor system. More recently, functional connectivity studies have demonstrated potentially adaptive changes in ALS brain organization, but disease-related changes in cortical communication remain unknown. We recruited individuals with ALS and age-matched controls to operate a brain-computer interface while electroencephalography was recorded over three sessions. Using normalized symbolic transfer entropy, we measured directed functional connectivity from frontal to parietal (feedback connectivity) and parietal to frontal (feedforward connectivity) regions. Feedback connectivity was not significantly different between groups, but feedforward connectivity was significantly higher in individuals with ALS. This result was consistent across a broad electroencephalographic spectrum (4-35 Hz), and in theta, alpha and beta frequency bands. Feedback connectivity has been associated with conscious state and was found to be independent of ALS symptom severity in this study, which may have significant implications for the detection of consciousness in individuals with advanced ALS. We suggest that increases in feedforward connectivity represent a compensatory response to the ALS-related loss of input such that sensory stimuli have sufficient strength to cross the threshold necessary for conscious processing in the global neuronal workspace.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefanie Blain-Moraes
- Department of Anesthesiology, University of Michigan Medical School, 7433 Med Sci I, 1150 West Medical Center Drive, Ann Arbor, MI 48105, USA
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Kwan JY, Meoded A, Danielian LE, Wu T, Floeter MK. Structural imaging differences and longitudinal changes in primary lateral sclerosis and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. NEUROIMAGE-CLINICAL 2012; 2:151-60. [PMID: 24179768 PMCID: PMC3778247 DOI: 10.1016/j.nicl.2012.12.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2012] [Revised: 11/19/2012] [Accepted: 12/12/2012] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Magnetic resonance imaging measures have been proposed as objective markers to study upper motor neuron loss in motor neuron disorders. Cross-sectional studies have identified imaging differences between groups of healthy controls and patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) or primary lateral sclerosis (PLS) that correlate with disease severity, but it is not known whether imaging measures change as disease progresses. Additionally, whether imaging measures change in a similar fashion with disease progression in PLS and ALS is unclear. To address these questions, clinical and imaging evaluations were first carried out in a prospective cross-sectional study of 23 ALS and 22 PLS patients with similar motor impairment and 19 age-matched healthy controls. Clinical evaluations consisted of a neurological examination, the ALS Functional rating scale-revised, and measures of finger tapping, gait, and timed speech. Age and ALSFRS score were not different, but PLS patients had longer duration of symptoms. Imaging measures examined were cortical thickness, regional brain volumes, and diffusion tensor imaging of the corticospinal tract and callosum. Imaging measures that differed from controls in a cross-sectional vertex-wise analysis were used as regions of interest for longitudinal analysis, which was carried out in 9 of the ALS patients (interval 1.26 ± 0.72 years) and 12 PLS patients (interval 2.08 ± 0.93 years). In the cross-sectional study both groups had areas of cortical thinning, which was more extensive in motor regions in PLS patients. At follow-up, clinical measures declined more in ALS than PLS patients. Cortical thinning and grey matter volume loss of the precentral gyri progressed over the follow-up interval. Fractional anisotropy of the corticospinal tracts remained stable, but the cross-sectional area declined in ALS patients. Changes in clinical measures correlated with changes in precentral cortical thickness and grey matter volume. The rate of cortical thinning was greater in ALS patients with shorter disease durations, suggesting that thickness decreases in a non-linear fashion. Thus, cortical thickness changes are a potential imaging marker for disease progression in individual patients, but the magnitude of change likely depends on disease duration and progression rate. Differences between PLS and ALS patients in the magnitude of thinning in cross-sectional studies are likely to reflect longer disease duration. We conclude that there is an evolution of structural imaging changes with disease progression in motor neuron disorders. Some changes, such as diffusion properties of the corticospinal tract, occur early while cortical thinning and volume loss occur later.
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Key Words
- ALS, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
- ALSFRS-R, ALS functional rating scale, revised
- CC, corpus callosum
- CST, corticospinal tract
- Cortical thickness
- DTI, diffusion tensor imaging
- Diffusion tensor imaging
- FA, fractional anisotropy
- FreeSurfer
- Longitudinal studies
- MD, mean diffusivity
- MRI, magnetic resonance imaging
- Motor neuron disease
- PLS, primary lateral sclerosis
- UMN, upper motor neuron
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Affiliation(s)
- Justin Y Kwan
- National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
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Keil C, Prell T, Peschel T, Hartung V, Dengler R, Grosskreutz J. Longitudinal diffusion tensor imaging in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. BMC Neurosci 2012; 13:141. [PMID: 23134591 PMCID: PMC3531302 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2202-13-141] [Citation(s) in RCA: 82] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2012] [Accepted: 10/31/2012] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal neurodegenerative disorder, caused by progressive loss of motor neurons. Changes are widespread in the subcortical white matter in ALS. Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) detects pathological changes in white matter fibres in vivo, based on alterations in the degree (diffusivity, ADC) and directedness (fractional anisotropy, FA) of proton movement. Methods 24 patients with ALS and 24 age-matched controls received 1.5T DTI. FA and ADC were analyzed using statistical parametric mapping. In 15 of the 24 ALS patients, a second DTI was obtained after 6 months. Results Decreased FA in the corticospinal tract (CST) and frontal areas confirm existing results. With a direct comparison of baseline and follow-up dataset, the progression of upper motor neuron degeneration, reflected in FA decrease, could be captured along the CST and in frontal areas. The involvement of cerebellum in the pathology of ALS, as suspected from functional MRI studies, could be confirmed by a reduced FA (culmen, declive). These structural changes correlated well with disease duration, ALSFRS-R, and physical and executive functions. Conclusion DTI detects changes that are regarded as prominent features of ALS and thus, shows promise in its function as a biomarker. Using the technique herein, we could demonstrate DTI changes at follow-up which correlated well with clinical progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carsten Keil
- Department of Neurology, Jena University Hospital, Erlanger Allee 101, Jena 07747, Germany
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Turner MR, Agosta F, Bede P, Govind V, Lulé D, Verstraete E. Neuroimaging in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Biomark Med 2012; 6:319-37. [PMID: 22731907 DOI: 10.2217/bmm.12.26] [Citation(s) in RCA: 111] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The catastrophic system failure in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis is characterized by progressive neurodegeneration within the corticospinal tracts, brainstem nuclei and spinal cord anterior horns, with an extra-motor pathology that has overlap with frontotemporal dementia. The development of computed tomography and, even more so, MRI has brought insights into neurological disease, previously only available through post-mortem study. Although largely research-based, radionuclide imaging has continued to provide mechanistic insights into neurodegenerative disorders. The evolution of MRI to use advanced sequences highly sensitive to cortical and white matter structure, parenchymal metabolites and blood flow, many of which are now applicable to the spinal cord as well as the brain, make it a uniquely valuable tool for the study of a multisystem disorder such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. This comprehensive review considers the full range of neuroimaging techniques applied to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis over the last 25 years, the biomarkers they have revealed and future developments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin R Turner
- Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Oxford University, UK.
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Widespread structural and functional connectivity changes in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: insights from advanced neuroimaging research. Neural Plast 2012; 2012:473538. [PMID: 22720174 PMCID: PMC3377360 DOI: 10.1155/2012/473538] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2012] [Revised: 04/20/2012] [Accepted: 04/23/2012] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a severe neurodegenerative disease principally affecting motor neurons. Besides motor symptoms, a subset of patients develop cognitive disturbances or even frontotemporal dementia (FTD), indicating that ALS may also involve extramotor brain regions. Both neuropathological and neuroimaging findings have provided further insight on the widespread effect of the neurodegeneration on brain connectivity and the underlying neurobiology of motor neurons degeneration. However, associated effects on motor and extramotor brain networks are largely unknown. Particularly, neuropathological findings suggest that ALS not only affects the frontotemporal network but rather is part of a wide clinicopathological spectrum of brain disorders known as TAR-DNA binding protein 43 (TDP-43) proteinopathies. This paper reviews the current state of knowledge concerning the neuropsychological and neuropathological sequelae of TDP-43 proteinopathies, with special focus on the neuroimaging findings associated with cognitive change in ALS.
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Agosta F, Canu E, Valsasina P, Riva N, Prelle A, Comi G, Filippi M. Divergent brain network connectivity in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Neurobiol Aging 2012; 34:419-27. [PMID: 22608240 DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2012.04.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 115] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2012] [Revised: 04/23/2012] [Accepted: 04/28/2012] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Using resting state (RS) functional magnetic resonance imaging and independent component analysis, the integrity of brain networks related to cognition and behavior was investigated in 20 nondemented patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). The association between RS functional connectivity and executive functions was assessed in 16 patients with neuropsychological assessment. ALS patients compared with control subjects showed a decreased connectivity of the right orbitofrontal cortex, and an enhanced connectivity of the left precuneus in the default mode network; a decreased connectivity of the left inferior frontal cortex, and an increased connectivity of the right angular gyrus in the right frontoparietal network; and an increased connectivity of the parietal cortex in the left frontoparietal network. The enhanced parietal connectivity was associated with the clinical and cognitive deficits of the patients. In ALS, an alteration of large-scale functional brain networks associated with cognition does occur, even in the absence of overt dementia. The increased parietal connectivity may have a role in an attempt to maintain cognitive efficiency in the presence of structural frontotemporal injury.
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Affiliation(s)
- Federica Agosta
- Neuroimaging Research Unit, Institute of Experimental Neurology, Division of Neuroscience, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, via Olgettina 60, Milan, Italy
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